Grane Part 2 2015

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Grane Part 2 2015

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Brief stop at holden wood early afternoon and:-

4 little ringed plover but all adult looking

Rest similar to previous

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood 6.45-8.15pm today

29 Mallard

1 female wit min 7 small young

3 teal

4 grebes - 2 pairs

min 27-28 lapwing incl 1 nearly adult at top end of res must have nested there

1 snipe

3-4 coot also that1 juvenile

2 moorhen - incl 1 immature

2 oystercatcher

11 little ringed plover minimum! -4-5 juveniles too................9 in the 2 photos below taken at the same time on different muddy bits...

1 blackcap in song

meadow pipits displaying

1 common gull adult - adult seen in field by holden wood

2 pied wagtails with 2 young

50 min b h gulls

1 lesser black back landed on water min 10 passing over....

1 kestrel

3 reed bunting

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood 6.45-7.45

6 lapwing incl that juvenile form sunday
4 LRP
2 oystercatchers
19 mallards
1 female with 6 young
2 min coot and that young un
2 great crested grebe
plenty of Canada geese
3 teal
50 min b h gulls some with freshly fledged juveniles

blackcap in brief song
wren in song
meadow pipits parachuting

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood 6.30-7.30 Today

Surprise of the day is the moulting Shelduck below - first I have seen at Grane or anywhere in Rossendale

152 B H gulls on the bank at the top end, 6-7 in the field, plus dozens over easily over 170 if not over 200 even

2 great crested grebes

6 little ringed plover

2 oystercatcher still

3 coot

23 mallard many moulting drakes

1 female with 6 young still.....

4 grey herons

4 cormorants min

flock of long tailed tits at top end and min of 4 at near dam side

no birds singing or displaying

4 adult lapwing and also that young which has become greener

2 lesser blacks on the water - one a second summer

2 reed buntings calling

surely a question of WHEN and NOT if....the great white egret will turn up considering they show site loyalty....?

I think holden wood would be an excellent place for the July Monday ramble..evenings are turning out to be very productive......

craggy · Status: Offline

Hi Sarfraz

Shelduck nice find

Holden wood ramble sounds a idea

Cheers Craggy

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Visited from 11.45 to 12.30 today

1 shelduck still present although disappeared out of view

Approx 42 lapwing

2 common sandpiper

2 little ringed plover

Only bird in song was reed bunting

24 mallard

also 2 females with young - one still with 6 young and one with 3 small young

1-2 oystercatcher

-- Edited by sarfraz on Thursday 16th of July 2015 08:47:43 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

10-1pm Grane Res's today

Holden Wood:-

plenty of B H Gulls
one adult or near adult Med Gull ...lacking the hood just a big patch.....but had fully white wings.....
one bird which almost certainly appeared to be a juvenile med gull....or maybe even a hybrid...neither present on way back

2 grey herons

5 cormorants approx.

no sign of coot or grebes

min 30 lapwing

Ogden:-

2 g c grebes

min 50 carrion crows on slopes
min 12 woodpigeon in flock flying west

wren on sides

Calf Hey:-

1 grey heron
1 oystercatcher
min 4 g c grebes

On way back

Holden Wood:-

4 oystercatcher - I single, pair with at least 1 immature

5 little ringed plover

a few reed bunting

1 willow warbler

min 10 pied wags feeding on mud at top end

min 30 meadow pipits ..a huge pipit party......1 even displaying

a few reed bunting....2 juveniles

1 lesser black back 2nd or 3rd year

min 26 young

2 females....1 with 1 small young.....1 with min 3 growing young....

whilst watching the pipits and wagtails....at the top end near the 2 small trees where you could watch the egret from I noticed a red flash.....I knew it was a redstart and it flew from one of the small trees onto the muddy shoreline and as I caught up with it on mud the underside was dark......it flew off towards the rushy channel ...I could see the blacky underside clearly....it was followed by a brownish bird....darker than a female European redstart .......I assume the second bird was a female or even young.....I looked for 20 minutes even walking down the humpy bit but no other sighting.....never seen a black redstart in Rossendale....had my first british record this year near carnforth.......I should not have gone to se that asthis would have been a national and patch tick at same time lol

looking at birdguides there has been some movement

www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp

sarfraz · Status: Offline

went up form 8.45 -10.15 today

quite a number of small birds running around the muddy banks yesterday and many swifts swallows and both species of martins......in fact a couple of family groupings of swallows and some feeding young in small trees at top end.....got very close to them but did not know they were there yesterday

approx. 179 Canada geese
quite a few lesser black-backed gulls .....10 plus juveniles seen with ..7 on the water at some point.....4 were in a group together and flew in from the west without an adult.......
1 great black backed gull over heading east

1 grey wagtail

2 grey herons

quite few pipits some family parties
pied wagtails ....juveniles running around after adults
min 2 common sandpiper
min 3 lrp
3 oystercatcher min

min 70 lapwing - put up in the air by a peregrine

1 peregrine tried to hunt black head gull and lapwing unsuccessfully ....showed twice

1 song thrush in channel at top end
1 greenfinch
1 juvenile robin hoping from bushes to ground feeding
quite a number of goldfinch
min reed bunting
goldcrest heard calling in hedge...heard yesterday aswell
1-2 blackbirds
family party of jay calling in trees

min 15 mallard
the young duckling from yesterday appeared motherless today...it got separated somehow.....

a couple of immature moorhens

no coots again...

great tits in bushes near waters edge

a couple of family parties of willow warbler - thank god for sub-song!

saw 2 buzzards on far hill side yesterday early evening

sarfraz · Status: Offline

from 8.30-11.30

all 3 res's walked along bank of ogden

same as other day more or less, differences :-

holden wood:-

32 starlings min incl many juveniles
36 min lapwing
approx. 20 pied wagtails
min 20 meadow pipits
willow warbler in sub song
no LRP

3 coot incl juvenile which is at bottom end with a parent

family flocks of goldfinches, reed buntings, willow warbler

3 grey wagtails - 2 adults at different ends and a juvenile
2 linnet
1 common sandpiper
20 min mallards - no sign of any young, even that lonely duckling from the other day

4 lesser black backed gull juvenile on res, parents appear to have dropped them off there.....must be a crèche.......they fly around a lot....one parent dropped it's youngster off there then it headed south...

Ogden:-

1 kestrel
2 g c grebe on way back

calf hey

goldcrest in song
wren in song
treecreepers calling
g s woodpecker

excellent year for foxgloves at calf hey and other places around Grane

-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 24th of July 2015 04:28:54 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

sarfraz · Status: Offline

3 greenshank holden wood, 1 present 2 flew West to ogden

C Bel · Status: Offline

3 Greenshank still present at 7.45pm (R Archer)

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Did go up on Wednesday but no Greenshank and not much to report. However I did see 2 Common Blues - first of the year for me. Lots of Meadow Browns last week. I forgot to add Kingfisher from Monday.

Grane Res's today 7.30-11.45

Holden Wood:-

14 lapwing
3 min Grey Wagtails
Stonechat Pair on way back in area of rusty iron fence - both alarm calling and male singing
Willow Warbler in sub-song

3-4 linnet
min 3 grey wagtails incl 2 juv
mother mallard now with 5 young./..1 lost..
1 young coot
bullfinch calling

3 grey partridge - pair with young one near old railway line

Ogden:-

100 plus swifts, swallows and some sand martins......approximately 50 swifts 50 swallows
60 min carrion crows
20 min woodpigeons
1 kestrel

feeding frenzy in the air and on the ground...

3 min grey wagtails...
plenty of pied wagtails, goldfinches, 2 linnet, plenty of meadow pipits, reed bunting.......young of all as well

1 male stonechat

1 g c grebe

calf hey -

6 g c grebe

14 mistle thrush together

musbury:-

2 kestrel...1 young with adult

lots of meadow pipits

no skylarks

what a difference a few weeks make......once alive with the song of skylark, curlew and the display of meadow pipits.....now quiet

-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 31st of July 2015 10:48:47 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

7 swifts on my visit yesterday, 2 today

min 30 house martins feeding above area between dam wall and Holcombe road

min 30 mallards but not much change

heard oystercatchers

2 adult common gulls at least, a possible med gull......2/3 cycle....

sarfraz · Status: Offline

2 Greensank at Calf hey in evening

sarfraz · Status: Offline

2 greenshank at holden wood between 7-8pm

1 oystercatcher min

1 med gull over heading west

rest same

sarfraz · Status: Offline

holden wood res 7-8.15pm

min 200 b h gulls some on res many flying west

min 20 lbb gulls flying west

2 greenshank came in from west, stopped a little and then 3 to ogden side

1 teal - drake in eclipse

4 common gulls

min 30 maybe in excess of 40 mallard

1 swift over heading west

5 grey heron

approx. 10 cormorant

quite a few swallows with 1 sand martin and 2 house martin

2 grey wagtails

4 meadow pipits

-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 15th of August 2015 08:51:35 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

holden wood from 9.30-11.15

1 grey wagtail
1 common sandpiper

1 female bullfinch at top end but must have been more

lots of linnet calling but 3 seen

very quiet day

30 plus woodpigeons though

sarfraz · Status: Offline

visited holden wood from 12 -1

3 grey herons
2 pied wagtails
1 reed bunting
3 teal

rest no real change

sarfraz · Status: Offline

new birds in - 1 male wigeon and 2 spotted flycatcher at top end on dead tree. pretty sure I saw a female with that wigeon but might have mistaken that for a paler looking teal.

100's swallow and martins

1 pied wagtail

about 20 mallard min

5-6 teal

min 5 cormorant resting on bank where seat is

no gulls on at first but plenty flying over - mainly b h gulls and lesser

I had a redpoll flying over dam wall on my last visit

1 common sandpiper the only wader

1 kestrel near old railway track - the only BOP

nothing else to really add...

nice to see Craig there....

1 dragonfly....browny orangey type

-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 22nd of August 2015 08:21:43 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

sarfraz · Status: Offline

5.30 - 6.30 pm today

1 male wigeon
2 teal

min 20 mallard

57 b h gulls on water
50 plus heading west

1 juvenile gull...is it a herring gull?

2 pied wagtails
2 meadow pipits

13-15 min cormorants

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood 7.50am-9.10am

1 lesser black backed adult and a juvenile
no sign of the wigeon

warbler tit flock.....consisting of willow warbler chiffchaff blue tits goldcrest near dead tree

some different contact calls made

1 grey wagtail
4-5 pied wagtails
2-3 linnet

and an unidentified warbler ....looks sedge to me will put photos up

sarfraz · Status: Offline

7.45-10.45

Holden Wood:-

1 sand martin

plenty of swaloows
1 common sandpiper
11 pied wagtails under ogden dam wall
min 20 gold finches
min 50 meadow pipits - extras on way back
3 grey wagtails
10 min cormorant
party of willow warblers
2-3 linnet

whitethroat present on last visit...

ogden:-
30 min jackdaws near old train track
1 hobby - 1 adult.....
2 buzzards soaring
2 kestrel
3 grey wagtails - 1 juvenile

calf hey

4 grebes
2 stone chat - pair - tacking..must have had juves

6 mallard

in woods .....cola tit, gold crest , treecreeper flock.....min of 10 each easily on first 2 species....

green woodpecker
1 kestrel

2 grey wagtails

-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 4th of September 2015 08:50:24 PM

-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 4th of September 2015 10:17:05 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood:-

5.30 - 7pm

min 19 cormorants in roost

min 24 mallard - 2 drakes out of eclipse in fresh new plumage

min 400 B H Gulls - 250 min on shoreline of res, many feeding in newly cut field on side of the lane

2 herring gull - 1 adult and 1 juvenile heading west

min 15 lesser black backed gulls - mainly adults

1 grey wagtail
2 pied wagtail heading east

1 little ringed plover

flock of long tailed tits

just a few meadow pipits

1-2 wrens - wren numbers appear to be a bit lower.....

min 50 house martins in the air

min 50 swallows in air - many juveniles

2 redpoll over

-- Edited by sarfraz on Monday 7th of September 2015 12:14:34 AM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

forgot to add a single teal yesterday

Holden Wood and Musbury from 10-1pm today

Holden wood:-

1 kestrel
2 buzzard
approx. 10 meadow pipits
1 grey heron
min 3 willow warbler still
20-30 b h gulls
2 grey wagtails

Musbury heights and Musbury :-

2 kestrel
1 buzzard
1 spotted flycatcher, maybe 2....1 being chased around by a Robin
a possible Redstart but was out of sight before I could confirm - will have to wait a bit longer to add European redstart to my Rossendale list
3 juvenile stonechats

great tits blue tits and goldcrest heard

a very different call heard today twice.....a fruity shriek followed by a tok tok........nothing located at all......

NO Wheatears at all, no Whinchats. I expected to see Wheatear though.

-- Edited by sarfraz on Monday 7th of September 2015 04:03:50 PM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

6 adult mute swans on the res today morning from 9.30 to about 10.15....first flew east then west and then north...

1 med gull ....adult in winter plumage over....

1 peregrine, kestrel , sparrowhawk, buzzard

1 grey wagtail
2 meadow pipits
9 cormorants

robins singing 1st sept

willow warbler in brief song last visit

2 sand martins over

sarfraz · Status: Offline

craggy · Status: Offline

Hi Sarfraz

The photo of the Swans in flight great photo

How long as it been since Swans have been recorded on Holden Wood

Cheers Craggy

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Hi

4 turned up in either very late November or very early December 2013. Prior to that my last sighting was of one bird that may have stayed at least 10 days in May 1997. The 4 in 2013 may have only stayed a couple of hours. It has been an interesting year.

Sarfraz

sarfraz · Status: Offline

just 2 chiffchaff today....rest the same as usual......no wader, no chats except robin

5 pied wagtails, 1 white wagtail

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Today

holden wood 7-8.15am -

chiff chaff
1 teal

no waders or cats
1 kestrel
some b h gulls
approx. 30 meadow pipits
long tailed tit flock mi 8 with goldcrest and coal tits

Haslingden Moor and Jamestones from 9.30-11

7 red grouse
1 snipe
20 min meadow pipits
1 kestrel

1 raven chasing 4 magpies - looks like tried to hunt 1 unsuccessfully in deep clough
1 kestrel in deep clough

1 fem wheatear at jamestones

Troy Quarry ;-

2 kestrels ...1 youngster at least
2 linnet over

Holden Wood back again at 11.45

same as before

sarfraz · Status: Offline

holden wood 9.30-10.30 today morning:-

6 teal which flew west

tit flock...10 long tailed, 5 min blue tit, min 2 coal tit, 2 goldcrest min in it

3 reed buntings
min 10 meadow pipits

2 great spotted woodpeckers - one on dead tree at top end one on pole near dam wal

sarfraz · Status: Offline

holden wood 9.30 - 1-.30 today

1 kingfisher
1 great crested grebe which was present on Tuesday as well
1 peregrine spooked everything
3 reed buntings

40 min jackdaws on Tuesday

1 chiffchaff

less swallows than usual but a couple of family parties still around

sarfraz · Status: Offline

sarfraz · Status: Offline

calf hey late afternoon today - no ducks, 2 white wagtails, 3 un id'd pied or white

min 20 b h gulls
1 cormorant
0 grebes seen
min 20 meadow pipits appeared to be heading east

mass flock of goldfinches in trees about 10 seen but twittering seemed to indicate much greater number

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Grane Res's today

7.15-11.15am

4 teal
mi 16 cormorants
1 kestrel male
1 buzzard

26 swallows a a flock of 11 that just streamed west and 15 over the dam wall
4 reed buntings
2 grey wagtails
40 min pied wagtails

2 wren - 1 singing
min 50 goldfinch

100 min meadow pipits seen all over today ..many heading south

2-3 mallard

Musbury Heights :-

1 wren
1 wheatear female
3 red grouse but looked more grey than red

Calf Hey

2 wrens - 1 singing
treecreper goldcrest tit flock

7 teal
2 mallard
2 g c grebe

Ogden:-

1 kestrel

-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 26th of September 2015 01:04:07 AM

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Usual suspects yesterday early afternoon but 2 common gull as well

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden wood today 9-10 am very foggy

could hear a few meadow pipits and pied wagtails but not see many

4 teal

3 mallard - 2 dapper drakes .....looking very fresh!

a flock of 20 lapwing approx. wheeling around in fog......first for a while..

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden wood 9.30 -10.30 today

11 teal - 10 flew West
2:grey heron
7 meadow pipit
2 grey wagtail
2 pied wagtail

aabt 10 mallard

Heard redwings but not see

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood, Musbury, Tor and Alden 7.30-12.15 today

Holden Wood:-

5 Teal
4 min Blackbird - new in
min 4-5 Mallard
1 Common Gull with 20-30 bh gulls
3 great spotted woodpecker
2 herring gulls heading west

61 pink footed geese heading south-east high

100 plus Canada geese....many coming from north as sun rose

approx. 20 meadow pipits....

min 3 pied wagtails
4 mistle thrush in trees near railway track
1 male stonechat
2 grey herons

1 lapwing over from yesterday

min 30 jackdaw feeding in fields behind dam wall

heard an oystercatcher but never saw

2 dunnock in hedge along lane

2-3 house sparrows

Musbury:_

2 kestrel
1 raven sat in tree
30 meadow pipits trickling southwards

could hear chaffinches moving higher up

min 7 mistle thrush in group

1 great spotted woodpecker in the last big tree on Rossendale way

2 stonecat in the horse shoe bit of Rossendale way

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Calf hey today 3-4pm with family so not much birding

did notice 1 grey heron

5 teal - 3 males

at least 2 mistle thrush

1 great spotted woodpecker

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood:-

No ducks seen
3 common gull with black - headed

1 Fieldfare
min 20 redwings

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden wood from 10 to 11

29 mallard
12 -15 teal
3 grey heron
Buzzard
200 min b h gulls
10 min common gulls
2 meadow pipit

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Grane 7.45am - 12 noon

Holden Wood:-

min 60 Lapwing
7-8 Teal
min 10 Mallard
min 9 Common Gull
min 100 B H Gulls including those flying on
min 30 Meadow Pipits incl 25 sat on wires near rusty fence
1 Grey Heron
pair of Stonechat
1 reed Bunting
a flock of min 6 Long Tailed Tits and 2 Blue Ttits
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
few Goldfinch
2 Mistle Thrush feeding hear farm
1 Song Thrush near dam wall
min 20 Starling

Musbury Heights:-

5-6 Meadow Pipits
1 Chaffinch heard on tops away form trees
Red Grouse heard

Calf Hey:-

1 blackbird and 1 robin feeding in channel by res - unusual
1-2 Goldcrest
1 Reed Bunting
3 Dunnock
small numbers of woodpigeon - no big flocks like last year
1 female Goldeneye
5-6 Teal
5-6 Mallard
1 Grey Wagtail - the only Wagtail seen all day.

Ogden:-

3 wigeon - 4th species of duck see - a good number for Grane
4-5 Mallard
1 Blue Tit feeding around the channel with 6-7 Meadow Pipits and 1 Reed Bunting

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Not to forget about 8 Wrens spread around the areas

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood 9.30-10.30 today

0 ducks
22 starling
0 waders and plovers
24 redwing head to ogden from musbury
3 common gull
pair stonechat top end
0 wagtails
min 30 jackdaws
0 birds of prey seen
1 moorhen
1 grey heron
min 11 cormorants
2 meadow pipits
1 wren
1 female bullfinch in flight

highlight of the day 2 dippers in outflow at top end......

sarfraz · Status: Offline

Holden Wood and Musbury Heights from 9-12 today

Holden Wood:-

13 min Mallard
Teal heard but not seen
22 Common Gull
2 Buzzards
3 Grey Heron
1 Herring Gull over heading West
21 Fieldfare
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Dipper in channel between Ogden and Holden Wood
3 Grey Partridge near path on farm
2 Raven seen twice
2 Peregrines seen sparring with Buzzard and Raven
1 Kestrel

1 Black headed that is just fading out of it's Black head or coming into one

Musden Heights:-

a greyish looking finch/pipit type bird which disappeared quickly......not a Meadow Pipit